Knocking on Doors
by angelsdee327
Summary: Joe (Roman Reigns) Anoa'i thought she was beautiful when he saw her as a young boy. He finds her again when they're adults; both working for the WWE. Written from his POV while he pursues the woman of his dreams. Roman/OC with appearances from Dean, Seth, Sheamus and others.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yes, I'm reposting this after a slight re-write. I'll even reload the follow-up, Keys to the Heart, after I finish the re-write of that. It is a longer fic so it will take more time and I don't expect to go gungho on it until I'm done wrapping up some of my Dean fics.**

I want to tell you a story of how I met a girl by walking through a series of doors. Oh they weren't ordinary doors, and she wasn't just any girl but one of a kind. It was a long wait to reach that first door – almost an entire lifetime to just meet her. Now that I think about it I should go back to the beginning and say that I've known OF her my entire life.

You see, we both come from wrestling families. I was born into mine, and she was taken in by hers. No, she didn't lose her real family and get adopted but met and was accepted as a member of the Von Erich family. I saw a picture of them all together once. My dad showed it to me when I was still a kid.

This young Texan looked nothing like her fair-haired, fair-skinned Texan brothers. She had long black hair, caramel skin and some Latino fire in her dark eyes. At first glance, she looked like she should be a member of my family. I recognized beauty even then. I thought she was pretty, not to mention cool as sin. She hung out with the Von Erichs. Of course a kid my age would think she's cool.

She was a constant presence at almost every WCCW match that one of her "brothers" was involved in, and even back then when matches weren't written beforehand, it was rumored that she wrestled around their yard with them on their Denton, Texas ranch. I couldn't picture it in my head for the longest time. I couldn't see a 5'6" slip of a girl wrestling around with those big Texas men. I didn't think it was possible until I really saw her for the first time in early to mid 2012. I told you it was a lifetime.

* * *

I was at a NXT taping, but it wasn't just any taping. Our WWE champ showed up, and I wish I could say she was on his arm where someone like her should be or at least walking beside him as an equal, but no, she was tagging along behind him as he wandered the backstage area looking for one of his protégés. The thought that "a Von Erich should never be expected to walk behind a WWE champ; I don't care who that champ is," ran unbidden through my mind.

This woman looked at him like he was the center of her universe, the reason she lived and breathed; but unfortunately, she wasn't regarded by him in the same manner. It was a great injustice (no pun intended) that he was so blind that he could not see what was in front of him.

She was just as well-known on the NXT roster as he was, perhaps more so due to the amount of time that she had been a fixture in the business and finally the company. Everyone knew of her, but no one knew her unless you were called up to the big stage. The stories were there though.

Her history with her "adopted" brothers, the Von Erichs, her time away after their tragic losses, her return with Shawn Michaels, the instant friendships developed when the Hardys and Edge and Christian came up and her best friend at the time, the Texas Rattlesnake. All of that and more were known about her.

I didn't know at the time that there was a lot more that wasn't known about her, but I'm an observer. I had random sightings of her prior to my being called up to the WWE and I saw some things about her but it was the things one couldn't see that interested me most. I would learn everything that I needed to about the girl I saw in the photograph and the woman she grew into.

So I watched this woman who knew our legends, who cared enough about new talent to welcome them to the main rosters and went out of her way to make them comfortable – I watched her watch him like he was her God, and he was just content to talk to Colby (Seth Rollins) while she stood forgotten or unnoticed at his side.

My first thought was that she was too good for him. She was always a beauty and grew up even more so. She came from wrestling royalty. She was known to be a gentle soul with a mean streak that gave everyone a chance, loved her friends fiercely and defended them like a lioness but most definitely was too good for the man beside her.

I watched her see something special about him through her camera lens while he did a tag match with Colby and wished I could see what it was because it wasn't apparent to anyone but her. I know men that would give up a limb to have a woman look at them with just an ounce of the intensity that she laid upon him - just a fraction - and found myself wanting to be in that club too.

I can't say that I know he treated her differently (better) in the privacy of their home. I had no idea. For all I knew, he possibly worshipped her in their house, away from prying eyes, but I had a nagging doubt as I saw her starring in the role of a trophy girlfriend. I knew the rule about ensuring her safety in public (the last surviving Von Erich made Shawn swear that his sister would always be safe) but there was no excuse for his dismissal backstage. My opinion of the man plummeted almost instantly.

My next thought was that he was going to fuck up a good thing and lose her. Not long afterwards, rumors trickled down from the main roster to ours that he did in fact fuck up in stellar fashion, broke her heart and lost her.

* * *

The next time I saw her is when we actually met. It was prior to our Shield debut at Survivor Series. I knew she had left for a while (please refer back to asshole boyfriend) but returned to the show to resume her job of photographing a select few of the upper tier superstars. Rumors were floating around about her with a certain Cena but all I pictured was another unworthy man vying for the attentions of a woman out of his league.

So there I stood wondering where they stood when all of a sudden my boss, Paul, was clearing his throat to get my attention. When I focused my eyes and snapped out of my wonderings, there was THE woman standing there looking up at me with the blackest eyes I've ever seen and the brightest, most sincere smile I've ever been graced with. It was breathtaking. I should know, my mouth dropped open, and nothing came out. I must have looked like a fucking idiot.

I'll admit I took the time to let my eyes drift over the scenery. She had hair like mine, the same skin tone, a body that wouldn't quit but also had her hand out, waiting for a return handshake after an introduction that I didn't hear (because I was spaced out thinking of her) and predatory eyes that shot right through me when she caught me checking her out.

Paul was trying to cover his laugh while the next thought of 'ouch' crossed my mind. Her expression changed in a split second. That look said it all. It was a combination of irritation and disappointment that screamed "you're going to treat me like a 'thing' too." She'd put up with testosterone-laden jocks for more than half her life and dealt with their bullshit even after she was long tired of it. I did my best to cover up my embarrassment over my trip down Neanderthal Way (it crosses Lecherous Beast Blvd in case you're curious), nodded my head at her in greeting and shook her hand. My next thought was she's a strong woman in a male-dominated company.

The strength in her handshake and the unwavering stare from studying black eyes were her next tells. They said she was different than she had been when she would openly welcome the newcomers to the big stage. Her trust had to be earned now, and I guess you could consider that one of the doors. Her faith had been shaken somewhere along the line, and she observed people now before allowing them into her inner circle. I began to feel sorry for myself and all the ones that came before and after me that had to prove themselves now instead of receiving the greeting she used to give everyone.

I've always been a quiet watcher. We have that in common. We study people. I studied her from the moment I first saw her as a kid, and for the moment, I was under her microscope. She stared into my eyes and took a good look into me. I swear I felt that stare travel straight through to my soul and grip it tight before she let me go. I felt a spark ignite within me when I was deemed worthy of another smile. She let my slip up go, and while I was relieved, I still couldn't stop myself from checking her out again when she walked away.

The woman was hot! I couldn't help it. I'm a man. Insert the Law & Order gavel sound here.

So there I was in my locker room, getting dressed for my big debut, and all I could think about was this beautiful woman that looked like a smaller female version of me. Without any warning whatsoever, I heard my voice growl the word 'mine' inside my head. It took me by surprise, especially since we just met and then the rumors of her being with SuperCena, but it wasn't something I could easily shake.

As luck would have it, our debut wasn't a match but a mugging of her possible boyfriend, SuperCena so that her ex-boyfriend, Punk, could retain his title. I had the distinct honor of having the most exclusive wrestler-contracted only photographer take my debut pics all due to her working for the two men in the ring. She didn't work for the company. She worked for a select few men on the roster. If you were lucky enough to be up against one of them, you were blessed with the privilege of her looking at you through her camera lens.

A few more thoughts ran through my mind at the end of the show. For instance, I couldn't believe she still contracted with Punk after everything he did to her and believe me, there were some wild stories that whispered through the ranks. Another was she sure did talk a lot to the guys in the ring during the show. She had fun with it, trying to make them laugh, but when shit got real, she'd toss in a threat or two like "if that really hurt him, I will bust your fucking ass up." Hahaha! She's adorable. You have to love that kind of fire.

Oh then there was 'she sure looks good dressed all in black…just like me…mine.' What? It did it again, just ran right through there on its own. I'm totally innocent. It was the reptilian portion of my brain, the part that still harbors our primal instincts, and damn, I could see her bring out the animal in me. Where was I? Right!

As it turned out, the rumors about her and Cena were just that – rumors. The two of them were close friends that spent a lot of time together and that's it. My animal sighed in contentment when he learned that; one less male to compete against to earn her favor.

* * *

So months went by of us "attacking" the men she works for (more like charity works for since I learned she doesn't need the money), and the dark beauty was still taking my groups' shots for the website. I swear every single time I walked down the arena stairs I tried to spot her before I jumped the barrier and got down to business.

I was having the time of my life! We were over like mad with the heel lovers in the crowd, taking out some of the biggest stars on the roster, and I was getting photographed by my beauty, but then something tragic happened to end it all for me. She disappeared. She was nowhere to be seen for weeks upon weeks.

Despite the fact that we'd been on the main roster for a while, we still weren't in with the upper echelon stars that were a part of her inner circle. It was next to impossible to find out where my beauty went. No one would tell us shit. It wasn't hard to guess that she wasn't with SuperCena anymore; they had a falling out, but he was nothing compared to the damage Punk left in his wake so I knew she wouldn't have stayed away that long because of him.

He didn't matter. All I knew was she was gone, and I kept feeling like I lost something even though it was never mine. Yeah, that fact did not stop my inner animal from screaming out 'mine' every damn time she went through my head, and it was often. She was in my head on the job, at home, during the day, at night…in bed. So this is what a hot flash feels like.

I found myself getting depressed, quieter than usual and downright cranky when I came down the arena stairs and didn't see my beauty peeking over the ring apron. One day out of the blue, Jon (Dean Ambrose) got frustrated with my attitude, my depression, my moping, and apparently my sighing a lot when thinking about her really pushed his buttons.

He turned to me and asked what the fuck my problem was. I told him I missed Lex…and I guess I sighed again because he pulled a face and asked why I didn't just grow a set and go get her if I wanted her enough to mope around like a big baby. And like the big baby that I was currently devolving into, I said I didn't know where she was. If I was standing outside of myself, I would have clearly been able to see the pout on my face.

"She's in Kauai on the Hawaii 5-O set."

I have no idea how many times I blinked my eyes over that. Later on, Colby told me that my mouth dropped open and I just blinked my eyes like a defective robot stuck in an infinite loop malfunction before I got pissed and stood up, looming over Jon.

"What?" he asked. I could've punched him through the wall right then…

"What do you mean what? You knew I've had a thing for that woman since uh, day one! You knew I was upset that she was gone, you knew where she is and didn't think it was prudent to tell me?" It all came out in one long thunderous yell before I grabbed him by his shirt and pinned him to a locker. "WHY?"

Jon being Jon just smirked and patted my cheek. "Had to make sure where your head was at, man. You don't mess with that one unless you're damn committed to the cause WHICH you clearly are!" he finished in a rush when my nostrils flared as my temper reached its boiling point. "If you want the woman, go get her, big man, but don't fuck this up." He tapped my wrists until I released him, winked and left for his downtime.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I was on a plane before you could blink…or before another one of my infinite loop brain spasms. During the flight over, I talked to Colby, and he said that Jon found out from Punk (of all people) where she was after he took a trip to "visit" her, so in effect, Jon was betraying his mentor by sending me off to her. I promised myself I'd take him out drinking when I got back. He isn't hard to make peace with.

So, there I was standing at the front door of the guest house she occupied on this television star's property, and I didn't have a clue what to say when she opened it. I think I swallowed my tongue when she smiled at me. It seems to happen every time she does that so why would it be any different then? I almost couldn't hear her invitation to come in over that constant 'mine!' growl in my head, but I've learned to read lips a little better to avoid standing there like a deaf mute that happens to growl on occasion.

I used the excuse of work for being there just like everyone else that visited her. I couldn't feel like a bigger ass, but we had barely exchanged words (except for the ones she yelled from ringside that threatened my life) prior to that so I had no other possible reason for showing up on her doorstep. Like a dumbass, I went with it, and much to my surprise, she seemed to have reverted to a bit of her original form and invited me to stay.

I wasn't expecting that. I unknowingly made it through a door. Her trust had to be earned, remember? And I couldn't think of a single reason why she would extend me that trust along with that generous offer. Oh I accepted it. My mother didn't raise a fool. My beauty was tanned, looking renewed with life and…wearing a bikini. Of course, I accepted it.

There were actors there randomly throughout the day and night, and I didn't spare any of them a glance, not while she was in the same room. We sat huddled at her computer going over some photos, and all I could focus on was the smell of her hair and how it felt when it brushed against my skin. 'Mine.' Yeah, guess who? The animal rearing his head, demanding his mate like a petulant King Kong ready to bat some planes out of the sky.

I spent as much time as I could with her before I eventually had to return to the job. I walked away not with my intended mate but with the knowledge that she was returning to me…us…whatever. She knew who I was now. She always knew who I was, but I think she knew the real me. She called me Joseph, and I felt my heart pound every single time she did. She invited me into her home, knew who I was, called me by my real name and I was allowed to hear her voice, take in her scent and feel her hair brush against my skin.

Of course, wait for it. 'Mine…' but oddly this time the animal purred it. He was temporarily content because his intended mate was returning to his hunting ground.

* * *

Before long, Stephen (Sheamus) managed to pout her back on to the job. Hahaha! If he ever decides to leave the industry, I have it on good authority that he could be a professional pouter and make a damn good living. I don't think I've ever actually loved a huge red-headed Irishman before, but I came damn close when he walked in with her beside him.

Beside him! Now that man knows how to treat a woman. I'm going to man up and stand at the intersection of Neanderthal Way and Lecherous Beast Blvd and say at that particular point, I would have been happy if he walked her in on a leash (a solid gold one, I do have some class and damn, a gold leash and collar would look so hot on her…uh, right) because at least she was home but yeah, normally she always deserves to walk ahead if not beside anyone and everyone.

I remember exhaling a breath when I walked down the arena stairs, looked at the ring and saw her black eyes peering at me over the edge. She was home, she was here and she was working my match. So this is what Cloud 9 looks like. Jon elbowed me in the crowd and gave me a smirk. Colby asked if we kissed yet. He was like a kid hopped up on sugar, pelting out question after question until I silenced him with a glare and we put our game faces on.

I took absolutely every opportunity that I could to hang around her on the job and at the hotels. Any chance to see her, talk to her or come into physical contact with her; I grabbed on to with both hands and held on tight. We weren't in the inner circle just yet but we were getting there. There was a way to know for sure if you made it into the circle…one surefire way.

There was this special thing the elite of the superstars did at the hotels we booked, and it centered around her. They had a room party. With all the computer equipment she carries to each job, she can blast out some serious tunes and had a library from hell at her disposal. Here is the special part – the part that makes the mid-carders and jobbers jealous – she sings.

The company would book the top 3 floors of every hotel we stayed at, and the upper echelon would meet in her suite to sing and dance. I had the fortune of staying in a room on the floor below hers a few times and could hear her…them having a great time. Her voice was like a siren's call to me. Don't get any ideas about these sweet dance tune numbers or ballads. No, this woman has a deep, commanding voice (kind of like…mine) and she belts out rock songs by the likes of Seether, Staind and Godsmack.

The hotels put up with the parties as long as they kept it on the top floor with a two floor buffer in between them and the "normal" hotel occupants. The company loved the parties because it kept the superstars out of bars and clubs, off the streets and in the hotel where they stayed out of trouble. It worked all the way around except for one thing…not all of us were invited.

It wasn't a case of needing an actual invitation. It was a matter of knowing your place in the company. The veterans and upper tier stars walked right in. The door was literally open so that people could come and go as they pleased, but just because it was open didn't mean just anyone could walk in. It was just something the rest of us knew. We didn't need to be told.

On a few occasions, I'd be walking down that penthouse floor hallway, hear the music, glance in as I passed the door and see them having their fun. I'll admit I was trying to catch her eye to see if she'd call me in, but the room was packed with bodies and she was at the epicenter. I never had the nerve to walk in that door. Neither did Colby or Jon.

Many times I'd find myself lying awake, staring at the ceiling just listening to the voice that called to me and wished I was in that room. I could hear some of the songs she sang, and her voice was filled with such longing and loneliness, two things I wanted to erase from her life.

"Joe?" Colby whispered from his bed. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah, brah."

"Do you think we'll ever make it into that room?" You could hear his absolute need for acceptance by his peers in his tone. It was almost as heartbreaking as the pain in hers when she sang.

"I know we will, man." I was bound and determined to make it into that room for a different reason, but in doing so, I would get my friends in there too.

* * *

More weeks went by, and something changed within my beauty. It was in the way she moved, held herself and there was a predatory gleam in her eye. The woman was sexy as hell on any given day and drew quite a few of the single guys (and married ones – the pricks) to her without even trying. She shot them all down but that change was still riding shotgun within her. She was on the hunt.

A man knows these things. He can sense it just like women can read almost every single one of us. My sweet lady was looking for a man, and seeing as how she roomed with Stephen, almost everyone thought it would be him. The thought made me sick. I really didn't want to throw down with the Irishman. He did me an unknowing solid by bringing her back, but there was no way I was going to let him take what I wanted.

I didn't even think twice about it. I knew she was out of their suite, so I made my way up and banged on the door. He opened it with his trademark grin in place. "What's up, fella?" The guy never fails to make me feel like laughing even when I'm furious with him. I asked if I could come in, and he let me, pointing to the couch as he shut the door.

I asked him why…why did he have to go after her of all people, and he just shook his head, asking what the hell I was talking about. I breathed out her name and saw red (not him – the color) when he laughed at me. I distinctly remember shooting to my feet, balling my fists and okay, I was seething with anger that the man was laughing at me while he was stealing my mate. The man put his hands up, trying to stop his laughter while trying to keep me chilled, and then he said the words that dropped the floor out from under my feet.

"You've got it wrong, Joe. It ain't me she's after, fella. It's you."

What the fuck did he just say? It must have shown on my face because I'm fairly certain I swallowed my tongue again. I couldn't manage a coherent word if I tried. I stood there staring at Stephen, chest heaving for oxygen while the man narrowed his eyes on me and told me to sit back down.

"How do you know?" I managed to ask, staring at him like I was waiting for him to deliver the punchline of a joke.

"I can't tell you that, it's a secret, but I heard it directly from the mouth that interests you. Look, Joe, this woman," he paused for a moment, "we're closer than most happily married couples, but we will never be more than what we are. She's my family. Thing is, that closeness I share with her means I will tear you apart and leave you bloody if you ever hurt her. Get me, fella?" I swear he could pull the craziest eyes when he's threatening you. I just nodded my head. What else can you do when the big man delivers the best news you've ever heard and threatens your life in the same breath? "Glad we understand each other. Now get out." He slapped me on my shoulder and herded me towards the door like we were running a fire drill.

"Big date?" I asked quickly.

"Yeah, with her. It's game night. Bye!"

And a door was slammed in my face while another opened in my life. I walked down the hall, my head down, just thinking about how I'd approach this with her when I saw a pair of bare (and quite adorable) feet enter my field of vision. "Might want to watch where you're walking, big guy. You're liable to take out anyone coming down the hall lost in thought like that." Yep, there it was. My heart being pulled towards that voice and the usual swallowing of my tongue when I looked up and saw that smile directed at me. "You okay?" She had a look of concern in those eyes that have fascinated me since I was a kid, but that gleam, the predatory one I mentioned before, it was there too; and damn, if the animal in me didn't raise his head with a growl when its mate was showing interest.

"Yeah," I breathed out, nodding my head. It amazes me that she could continuously reduce me to the mental age of an awkward teen. She looked like she was waiting on something more from me, and damn, I wanted to give it to her but couldn't get the words to form in my head.

"Okay then," she said, deflating slightly but still smiling. "I have a game and an Irishman waiting on me. Night, Joseph," she nodded before skirting around me to go to her suite.

Her elbow brushed mine as she passed, and I felt that damn spark hit me like a lightning bolt. "Wait!" I must have said it a little too loudly because when we both turned to face each other, her eyes had widened with concern and dare I say, a look of anticipation? "I've, uh, got some things I need to pick up tomorrow, and I was wondering if you'd like to hit the strip malls with me?" I saw her eyes light up, and it suddenly dawned on me – that damn rule about her being seen in public in the company of one of us. As much as I didn't want to cross that line that was drawn in the sand by her legendary brother, I could tell by the look in her eyes and the smile on her face that she wanted it — needed it more than anything — and who am I to deny her what she needs? I swallowed the desert in my mouth, waiting for her reply which was an enthusiastic nod and grin. "Okay then, I'll be by to get you after breakfast."

"I'll be ready." I'm embarrassed to say those 3 little words made me swell painfully in my pants. When she winked at me and turned to bounce down the hall to her shared suite, I almost passed out from all blood flow hanging out south of the border. The rest of the night held my favorite pastimes since meeting her – cold showers and staring at the ceiling while I lay awake in bed. Then an unexpected thought ran through my head when I heard Colby snort in his sleep. I made it into the room. Hell, I pounded on the door and practically demanded entrance. Okay, I asked the big man if I could enter but if he said no, I would have demanded to come in by making a scene in the hall. The shit-eating grin on my face had to have lasted well past falling asleep because my face hurt in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Colby was back to hyper puppy mode, following me around our room asking questions when he learned of my date. I love him like a brother, but he must get his energy from leeching it off of people around him. He can tire you out like a herd of kids in their terrible twos. I just told him that I needed to think so please wait and I'd tell him everything when we got back.

I dressed casually; blue tank and shorts with my hair down. Still running how I wanted to handle her through my head, I grabbed my shades and keys and headed out the door. One quick ride up the elevator had me at her door, and when she opened it, I had the sweetest surprise waiting on me. She was wearing a very form-fitting black tank and shorts with her yard of hair hanging loose and John Lennon-type shades resting low on her nose while she looked me over with a growing smile.

"You ready for me?" I asked her.

I won't ever forget this part – not ever. She narrowed her eyes like a hungry cat, nodded her head and said one word that almost made me lose it and pin her against the wall right there.

"Definitely."

I vaguely heard her say bye to a scowling Stephen before she pulled the door shut, and I felt a shiver run through her when I placed my hand in the small of her back to lead her down the hall. Ah, so I affected her body too! What a relief! I thought I was the only one suffering from teenager-on-a-first-date jitters.

The elevator doors opened, and of all people to run into, there was Colby and Jon. The latter had his headphones on, more than likely to tune out Colby, while the walking sugar rush pointed at us and laughed, saying we looked like twins. Probably the one thing he could have said that wouldn't irritate me at that moment. In fact, it made me smile thinking that we were somehow supposed to be mirror images of each other, that it would make it easier for us to find our mate if we looked alike.

I didn't hear another word of what was said during the ride down, engrossed in my thoughts while she chatted away with Colby. Jon continued to ignore everyone until we hit the lobby, slid his eyes to mine, quirked a quick smile and continued on with his day. Colby threw a "have a nice date…time" over his shoulder before he ran to catch up with Jon. And there was the main thing he could say that would irritate me at that moment. I sighed and lowered my head when I felt her eyes shift to me. I didn't want her to know I considered it a date!

"That was smooth." I clenched my eyes when I heard those words before she began to laugh. Damn it! Busted already and I never made it out of the gate. My eyes snapped open when I felt her hand on my arm. "You ready?" That came out soft, like silk caressing my ears.

I slid my arm back in her grasp and laced my fingers in hers. I could tell the move surprised her when her eyes followed my hand's path and flashed from our joined hands to my eyes. "Definitely." Strangely enough or maybe not considering how my brain functions when it comes to her, all I could think about while walking to the car was that her small but deceptively strong hand fit perfectly in mine.

Now remember I said I was a watcher? Well I knew my beauty was on the hunt for a man but not to keep. She was…for lack of a better word, I'll say in heat and wanting something very specific from me; and believe me, I would definitely satisfy those needs of hers without a second thought, but I wanted more than that and had to change her expectations of me.

So as I drove us to a strip mall, thoughts of how to accomplish that task kept running through my head. And sex! Lots and lots of sex thoughts mingled in with my plans which made things difficult. I adjusted awkwardly in the driver's seat, trying to pull the end of my tank over my tented shorts before I reached for her hand, laced our fingers again and settled them on the gear shift.

After I parked the car in a shaded spot, I came around to her side and helped her out, earning another soft smile. The inner animal was pleased that I was handling things with our bigger head so that we could ensure the continued presence of our mate. After all this time, I've gotten good at reading him even when he isn't screaming 'mine' into my head.

Another thing we have in common is that we aren't big talkers. We exchanged small talk over things we looked at in various stores. It wasn't like we didn't know anything about each other and the other little things that were unknown would be talked about and learned over time. No, I didn't use words that day but actions and touch to lead her where I wanted her.

Physical contact seemed to change our breathing patterns, but the little touches that I placed on her back to guide her, the gentle squeeze on her shoulder or taking her by her fingertips to draw her near to hear softly spoken words were the ones that were changing how her eyes took me in. I think the big one was when I pulled her body close into my side to avoid getting smacked by a shopper on his cell, not paying attention while he was walking and talking.

I admit it was an abrupt yank on her arm that pulled her hard into my chest and I was damn pissed that she almost was trampled by that fuckshit. I glared at him before lowering my stormy gaze to hers and the sight flicked an instant switch inside of me.

Her right hand clung to the back of my tank while her left rested over my heart. Her eyes focused on my chest before slowly traveling up to stare into me. She had traces of vulnerability, fear and; dare I say, submissiveness within those onyx depths.

My inner animal roared his need to possess this creature and I stood right beside him, nodding my head in agreement.

Time was quickly running out on us before we had to return for a show, but there was no way I was taking her back before we ate lunch. This was a date after all. At least in my head, it was a date and I was going to do it right. We sat at an outdoor table (yep, there was no sign of that line in the sand now!) and quietly chatted about work, our families, hobbies, and I shouldn't be surprised but my short stint in the NFL. My beauty was a sports freak and not just a little but damn well familiar with the ins and outs of football! I had to be the luckiest man alive to land a hottie that works in my business and loves sports!

Okay, I hadn't landed her yet, but she was enticed by the bait and not just the "bait" because I don't do catch and release. Not with her. I had it in my head that I would give her just "that" if that is all she ended up wanting but damn it, I was going to do everything I could to prove that I was worth more than that and more importantly, that she was too.

I lost the "who has more scars" battle once I spotted one on her collarbone and asked how she got it. We compared ours; told the stories behind them and I learned she was pretty busted up from a reckless youth.

Talking sports and eating took up every last minute of freedom we had before we ended up rushing back to the hotel to get ready for the show. I walked her to her suite (that ever-present hand in the small of her back) before she turned to me and thanked me for the day. I couldn't help myself, I leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead, smiling to myself when I felt another shiver run through her body. "The pleasure was all mine."

* * *

The show sucked on so many levels! That night Stephen's feud with Mark Henry took a drastic turn, and he ended up walking away covered in horrible red welts from a belt beating. To say Lex was upset would be an understatement. I could track her down by the sound of her deep voice resonating off the backstage walls if I didn't know where she already was. And the mouth on that woman! Holy shit! Some of the words she yelled at trainers, management, creative and anyone that dared enter her field of vision would make a sailor blush like a virgin on their wedding night.

Yes, I mixed the metaphors because it was that bad!

I did get to see that temper I mentioned before though and how she transformed into that lioness defending her cub. It was impressive…and fucking hot! I stood against the wall in the trainers' locker room and watched with a surge of manly pride as this little hellion scared off huge ass men, sending them scampering from the room when she said she'd take care of her boy herself. Stephen, the silly shit that he is, just grinned at them while she all but beat them out the door.

Her eyes darted to mine, and I wondered for a moment if I was going to be sent packing as well, but the anger bled out of her gaze, and I knew I was safe. "Hi, babe," she whispered before she turned to attend to Stephen.

"Hi, gorgeous," I answered back with a hidden smile since the Irishman was arching an eyebrow at me. "How are you doing, man?" I asked him to deflect that look before it went to crazy eyes again.

It worked. He said he'd be fine after he got some TLC from his lovely nurse. I had a feeling he meant that as a dig at me to see how I'd react, but he never got the chance to find out when it turned against him in the form of his angry and now very emotional nurse. She was crying, her hand shaking as she cleaned up his back, trying to keep her voice hard as she chewed him out for letting them do this to him. He took a rash of shit from this tiny crying woman before he reached back, grabbed her wrist and pulled her to stand between his legs.

"I'm fine, luv," he whispered, clearly disturbed by how badly she was shaking. "Don't cry, luv, you know I can't handle it when you cry. It breaks me heart." His Irish accent comes rising to the surface when he's emotional, and she clearly pulled it out with her sobs.

They exchanged more words that I couldn't hear before she helped him to his feet. He was tired to the bone, and no matter how hard he tried to hide it from her, he was hurting. It came across in neon lights when he leaned heavily on her for support. "Hey, babe?" I started forward, taking his other arm to shift some of his weight off of her. "How about I help him to the showers and we'll meet you in his locker room to head back to the hotel together?" She glanced up from under the oppressive weight of just one of his arms, nodded her head and mouthed "thank you" to me before we made our way down the hall.

We took their car back to the hotel with me behind the wheel and the two of them in the backseat. I watched them as often as I could in the rearview mirror, not to spy on their unique relationship but to see how she acted with people she truly loved. He was leaning forward, trying to keep his abraded back from contacting the seat before she finally just laced her fingers in his wet hair and pulled him to her. He shifted slightly sideways on the seat, facing her, and leaned his big shoulder into her small one, using her as a cushion to keep him away from the leather seat. He rested his forehead against the side of her face, sighing heavily while she ran her fingers through his hair.

So that's what love looks like? The big man looked to be instantly soothed from her comforting embrace and touches to his hair. He closed his eyes and forgot about the pain he was in while he received the TLC we all needed from time to time in this profession. When we arrived at the hotel, I extended my hand to help her from the car before I assisted the big man from the back seat. Between the two of us, we got to their door fairly quick, and I was left with a "thank you for all your help, Joseph" before she shouldered all his weight and kicked the door shut behind her.

You'd think I'd be offended or hurt a bit, wouldn't you? But no, I knew she was having a hard time holding in her emotions and wasn't completely comfortable letting them go in front of me. Stephen taking that kind of a beating on the company's say so really rattled every one of her feelings, and it was about to overwhelm her. I lingered just long enough to hear the dam burst.

"If you ever do this to me again, I will beat your ass black and blue myself! You thick-headed motherfucker! This job isn't worth this, Stephen! Don't do it again!" All of those were just a string that came out one right after the other, and I couldn't help but stifle a laugh when I heard Stephen chuckle. "What the fuck is so funny? Now I'm stuck taking care of your ass when I have better things to do!" That got my attention! I was wondering if maybe, possibly I was the "better thing to do" but the thought faded when I heard her break down into tears again. "Look at your beautiful skin. Don't do this to me again, Irish. I just can't…" And her voice disappeared behind a wave of heart-wrenching sobs. "Don't cry, luv. Come here. I'm sorry, luv, so sorry." I heard Stephen tell her as I walked off and left him to heal her pains now.

It never really occurred to me the things she had suffered while she watched her friends and loved ones get injured on the job or just how badly she might despise this business that took all but one of her brothers from her. She had to hate it…but she stayed for us. She kept coming back for us. And I feel compelled to remind you that I said she was a strong woman in a male-dominated company.

Jon was hanging out with Colby in our room when I finally made my way in. Sugar Rush instantly jumped to attention and was about to let loose the string of never-ending questions about our date when I held up a hand to stop him. I went to the bathroom to change, hearing them mumble among themselves before I came out and reclined back on my bed to focus on the TV.

"So?" I slid my eyes to the left when I heard Jon asking the leading question that I figured would come from Colby. He had a shit-eating grin in place and wagged his eyebrows at me. Between his face and Sugar Rush bouncing next to him, I could not stop the laugh that erupted from my chest. They looked so fucking stupid! If only people knew how different they were from the characters they portray in the ring. Okay, maybe not Jon…

I caved and gave them the details of our date and even told them what I knew she wanted out of me and how I wanted to change her expectations. Colby listened like a kid being read a bedtime story while Jon chewed the inside of his cheek. When I was done relaying everything that happened, everything I had tried then and planned for later and the close of the evening with what I saw and overheard between her and Stephen, I finally had to snap at Jon for shifting around and making his usual faces during my talk. "What? What the fuck is up your ass, Jon?"

"I told you, you had to be careful with that one, bro." I went to open my mouth and he cut me off. "And you are clearly committed to the cause! I am not suggesting that you aren't, but she carries a lot of pain, a fuckload of baggage."

I told him what I thought I discovered along those lines when she broke down over Stephen and how much pain she must have been through when she lost her brothers and her friends got hurt, but Jon shook his head no.

"That isn't the end of it, man. I specifically pumped my mentor, her ex to discover her whereabouts for you and didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt over it because the man treated her like shit after they broke up. He's practically stalked her since then just to keep her on the hook, and as much as I idolize the man, his treatment of her is bullshit. I'm not even going into the crap the Boy Scout did to her in the guise of friendship, so I just want to be damn clear that you stick to your script! If you think there is a chance that you'll deviate from that after you get her interested in more and end up leaving her broken, we'll all be in for a world of shit from the roster because while I'll be pissed with you too, I wouldn't leave your back unguarded even if you have it coming." I was shocked into silence as Jon continued his unusually emotional rant while he rose from the bed to walk to the door. "Make no mistake, Joe, when all is said and done with the others, I'll fucking kick your ass myself." And then he left with a slam of the door as his exclamation point.

"Damn," Colby and I managed to say in perfect sync.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Another town, another hotel and I barely got to see my beauty, but when I managed to catch her for a moment, I asked if she wanted to go out again today. She appeared to struggle with it for a moment before she agreed on the condition that it was after she tended to Stephen. I expected no less and told her I'd be by their room in 2 hours if that was okay with her. She nodded and kissed me on my cheek before she hustled to catch up to Stephen after he picked up their suite key. I stood there with what had to be the goofiest look ever on my face, just rubbing my tingling cheek. Damn, I had it bad…

Knocking on the door, I can't tell you if I was pleasantly surprised or incredibly disappointed when none other than Jeff Hardy opened it. He definitely wasn't who I was expecting, but the man is an icon in the business, and I nodded my head in greeting before I moved into the room. And talk about a scrutinizing gaze! Holy shit, I could feel his stare burn through my back as I went to ask Stephen how he was feeling today.

The big man was face down on the couch while she applied antibiotic to every mark on his skin. I knew he was hurting, but he played it off as a slight discomfort for her sake. He was good at protecting his girl, but she was better and saw straight through his smoke screen. Checking with him that he was okay with her leaving, she got up, kissed "Jeffro" on the cheek, grabbed her key and took my extended hand. We stayed at the deli I took her to, just enjoying each others' company right up to the minute where we had to go back to hit the arena in time.

As I got ready for the show, I thought on the answers she gave me when I asked about her infamous friendship with Jeff. I could tell by the way he looked at me that he considered her marked territory and I was a trespasser. They were close, closer than any two people could be…once upon a time. Oh they still loved each other like mad, but anyone with eyes could see that time and distance stripped some of that away and it was passed on to Stephen. She traded him in for a best friend that was around.

When the show was finally over, I ran into her backstage on her way back to the big man and Jeff. She placed a delicate hand on my forearm and asked me if I wanted to come up to her room later. There it was – the actual invitation that I managed to bypass when I thought I was going to lose my chance with her. I graciously accepted while trying not to come off as a complete tool, took her fingertips in mine before I leaned down to kiss her forehead. She said she looked forward to seeing me and went to walk away. I was this close to stopping her with a question that was hanging on my tongue when she suddenly turned around and told me to bring my friends. The guys were going to flip their shit!

I showed up after it was already in full swing, and she immediately sought me out this time. Stephen took up one couch for himself. Others from the roster were jammed into the remaining couch and ones they dragged in from other rooms. She placed me front and center in a chair that was clearly reserved just for her. I had the perfect seat to sit, watch and listen to her and Jeff sing one song after another. Several of those songs, she ignored her partner and looked right into my eyes as if I was the only one in the room. Oh look! I'm back on my favorite cloud – that's right, number 9!

As if on cue between songs, there was a lull in the surrounding conversation, and I turned to see the others were staring at Colby and Jon when they stood inside the open door. They looked like they were ready to bolt. I turned back to glance at Lex and saw her studying eyes not staring at my friends but hers. With an irritated shake of her head, she cleared her throat and threw her hands out. "What are you waiting for? BP! Take someone with you and drag another couch in here! Glad you could make it, guys." She smiled at my friends while Big Paul (Big Show) and Stu (Wade) instantly went to retrieve another couch and gave me a wink before she waited for the next song that Jeff had picked.

From experience I know these parties lasted hours, but she eventually drifted over to my chair and sat on the armrest. It felt good to have her sitting that close to my side, and with a glance around the room, I could see the others took it as a statement. What the full extent of that statement was, I wasn't entirely sure but I could only hope. We talked for a while, just whispering among ourselves to stay in our own little space while surrounded by a mass of bodies. I learned that she not only took photos for the company's website but also took stills for two television shows and a few rock bands. After a bit, she bit her lip and told me that she'd be leaving for Nova Scotia in the morning. Filming was starting on the other television series that she worked for, and she'd be gone for a few days before returning to Stephen's home in Tampa.

In a moment of complete weakness, I asked if I could go with her, not wanting to be in separate countries for even such a short period of time. She went quiet for a long while. I could tell she was thinking it over before she sighed, looked up at me and said "not this time, I have some things to take care of before you come up. I'll take you with me the following week, I promise. Is that okay?" What else could I do but agree? Plus I had her word that I could go the following week. Like a big kid, I retreated into myself a bit as I took her hand in mine and played with her fingers. She ended up leaning up against me on the armrest, leaving her hand in my grasp. I wanted nothing more than to pull her on to my lap, but making those kind of moves this soon wasn't something to be done in this crowd.

My first infamous room party was winding down, and I could feel the trepidation enter me when I knew walking out that door was going to signal almost a week without her. It isn't like that was anything new to me since there were plenty of weeks like that before, but the difference was now I finally had my beauty instead of just imagining her every night. I held off until the bitter end before Colby and Jon walked up and thanked her for a nice night then glanced at me while she told them they were welcome anytime. Gritting my teeth, I told her I guess I should let her turn in so she could make her flight. She stood beside me, letting me up and allowed me to wrap my arms around her, holding her flush to my chest before I kissed the top of her head and said good night.

To my ultimate surprise, she called me two days later from Barrington and asked me for a favor. Now how could I refuse doing her a favor? She said she was returning to Tampa in the morning but had a ton of errands to run, she knew the weather was bad and one of her monsters had "storm issues" so she wasn't comfortable dragging him along to her doctor's appointment or to the title company. The latter was none of my business, but of course, I was concerned about her health so I asked if she was alright.

"I'm never alright, babe, but it isn't that kind of doctor. Shrink appointment." I didn't ask and she didn't offer. In the next breath, she said with Stephen in a bad way, she didn't want him driving in the rain and dealing with the dogs and asked if I could meet her at her doctor's office, pick up the dogs and take them back to Stephen's, that she knew we lived in different cities but if I helped her out, I was more than welcome to bring my luggage and stay until we had to leave for the next show. I was perfectly fine to just do her the favor but the added bonus of staying over had me asking for the addresses in a flurry of words while I scrambled for a pen and paper. "Don't forget to pack enough for the extra two days up here," she told me before she hung up. Yes! I love a woman that keeps her word.

I was already in the parking lot when she arrived and got out to open her door before she could reach for the handle. There was that smile that made me swallow a desert along with my tongue. I offered to take her luggage to the house so that she wouldn't have to worry about it later in the rain, and her smile just grew more dazzling. Taking her bags, I put them in my trunk while she loaded the dogs into the backseat of my rental. Everyone in the locker room knew their names – the mascots of the company, Nemo and Jasper – but I got my introduction and leaned down to pat them both.

She said she needed to head inside, and when I felt her hand on my nape, I turned into a gentle press of her lips against mine. My hand instinctively moved to the small of her back, holding her to me as I felt that rush run straight to every nerve-ending in my body. I stood at my full height, my breath slightly labored while we both kept our hold on each other and just stared into the others' eyes. Yeah, that wasn't going to hold me over.

I cupped the side of her neck with my free hand and pulled her lips back to mine, this time taking complete occupation of her mouth with my searching tongue. I wanted it to go on forever but knew she needed to get inside so I reluctantly released her lips with one last sipping kiss. When I pulled slightly back and opened my eyes, I noticed hers were still closed and her tongue darted out to taste me on her lips. I couldn't stop the smile from forming when she opened her eyes and met my gaze.

I saw the shift in her almost immediately. I wasn't the hunted anymore. I was the hunter, and she knew it. She swallowed almost convulsively while she handed me the key to Stephen's and told me she would see me at home. I nodded my head and released her to go in, leaning against the car waiting for it…and there it was. She glanced over her shoulder at me, lingering at the door for a moment before she smiled and went in.

I can only guess that the opening days of filming on a TV show must be hectic because Stephen just about jumped out of his skin when he came out of his room to find me reclining on his couch instead of her. I had to laugh! It was damn comical! "She didn't get the chance to call you, did she?"

"Nope!" he said with the crazy eyes but told me to make myself at home as he moved into the kitchen to brew what I'm told is her favorite Stephen Coffee. He told me she can't live without it just so, so I better pay attention and learn fast or mornings would be bad for me. "She's gotta have a minimum of two cups before she becomes human. Don't forget," he said as we sat on the couches, both of us with a mug of Stephen Coffee in our hands.

I heard the car and went straight to the kitchen so that when she came in and flopped down at his feet, I had her mug ready and waiting to place in her pleading hands. Stephen snuck a quick wink at me while she closed her eyes and savored her first sip then pretended he had been listening to her title company tale.

She came home a nervous wreck after getting bad news from her valued shrink; she was closing her practice and moving so all her clients had to find a new "prescribing" shrink. Apparently that is a big thing for "freaks like her" (her words, not mine), to shop for a new doctor.

I learned that she suffers panic attacks while listening to her conversation with Stephen and apparently her now-former doctor thinks she's an Angry Irritated Lack of Patience Depressive (AILoPD for short) not a Boohoo Depressive but she still refused to see a "sit down and talk about my feelings" doctor. I cannot say that surprises me. She only shares her thoughts and feelings with people she loves and trusts.

I also discovered that she was closing on a house practically across the street from here next week when she asked if I would be willing to go furniture shopping with her over the weekend. I was all for it, of course. Two days out and about with her in public (we were so far over that line in the sand I don't think I could find it with a map), helping handpick the things she would decorate her home with…not to mention the king-sized bed for the master bedroom. As if there was a chance I wouldn't think about it. Come on!

She stuck close to Stephen on the long couch while they (get this) watched Smackdown that night! I could barely restrain my laughter when they did running commentary or became marks that accepted the kayfabe. It was hysterical! She had her laptop set up on a TV tray in front of her and picked random moments to furiously type something before she'd laugh and continue watching the show. Her nickname for Randy was thigh meat! I will never look at his legs again, not that I did before but especially after her calling them succulent! Hahaha!

When my appearance came on, I shifted my eyes to her and caught her staring at me over her monitor. I couldn't help but notice that was the way I saw her at ringside – just from the eyes up over the apron. I could hear her fingers typing away on the keyboard while we held our staring contest. The little minx was trying to make me squirm in my seat with that smoldering look. Well two can play that game, baby. A slight tilt of my head and looking through my eyelashes at her, I parted my lips just slightly and ran my tongue over them.

Her mouth fell open as she drew in a short gasp of air, and I swear I could see those black eyes dilate from the other side of the den. My girl didn't want to play that particular game with me. I have skills that would have her panting over there without a spoken word or a single touch.

When the show was over, they switched the channel over to one of the playoff games. Stephen wasn't kidding. The two of them were like an old married couple content to sit inside, play with their pitbulls and watch TV before it was time to turn in. Except half of this couple was mine, and she really had some choice words to toss at the teams on the screen.

By the time it was over, Stephen was up on his feet and bidding us good night as he wandered down the hall to his room. I waited until she shut down her laptop then cocked my head at her. She was still sitting across the room from me and quietly contemplating something. "Do you want to grab your bags?" she asked as she took her feet. I nodded my head and went to grab them from the entryway before following her to the opposite end of the hall from Stephen. "I'll show you where we are," she opened the door, and I paused at the threshold of her room.

"We?" She said that this was his only guestroom. The others in the house were converted to suit other needs like a gym and office. "What about the couch?" I wanted to slap the shit out of myself for making suggestions that kept me out of her room. She said I was her guest, and she'd take the couch before she allowed me to. Well I couldn't have that. She tilted her head and asked if I had a problem sharing a bed with her. "What? No!" I walked the rest of the way in and kicked the door shut behind me.

She told me she was going to change in the bathroom while I changed out here, and I watched her carry nothing but a long tank in with her before the door closed. I stripped off my clothes and draped them over a chair at her desk, all the while thinking of her undressing behind that door. I pulled on a pair of black shorts, and all I could think about was how was I going to hide the now very prominent tent in the material when the image of her in nothing but that tank hung out in my head?

I pulled back the comforter, blanket and sheet climbed in and hoped I wasn't on her side before I pulled the sheet to my waist. Not like that did a lot to disguise my current situation. In fact, it made it worse since the linens were white. At least I had some camouflage with the black shorts in the semi-dark room.

"You ready?" she whispered from behind the bathroom door.

"Definitely," I replied in a strained voice. When she emerged, the soft lighting in the bathroom backlit her curves through the white tank and I could feel myself harden even more. Then I thought maybe my girl is a lot more versed in that game than I thought when she crossed to the bed and slipped in beside me. It took some maneuvering on her part to get all of her hair out from under her back and splayed across her pillow but when she was settled, she rolled towards me and traced her hand over my arm sleeve. My animal chanted 'mine' in my head, but the only word I managed to say was "beautiful".

Even in the faint light, I could see a blush rise in her cheeks and realized I said that out loud. She kept tracing her fingers over my inked flesh while she told me she wasn't quite sure what she was ready for yet but asked if I'd be willing to kiss her again. I didn't even answer her before I rolled on to my side, gripped the back of her head and brought her mouth to mine once again.

She moved further into my chest, I could feel her full breasts heaving against me as she took her breath from my lungs. I had just enough sense left to try to keep some space between our pelvises, but she scooted just close enough to brush against me. God, I hope she didn't feel that but damn, that felt good! And how is this thing getting harder? I guess it's true what I've thought all along. She really does bring out the animal in me.

Our tongues dueled for dominance of the kiss for what felt like forever but in reality would never be long enough, before lack of oxygen forced us to separate. "Damn, you taste good." I pulled her closer into my chest, her head lying on my right arm and her hands resting on my bare skin. I kept one hand buried in her hair and the other on the small of her back. I no longer cared if she could feel my erection pressed into her abdomen. In fact, I wanted her to so that she'd know what was hers when she was ready to claim it.

The rush of the moment had sapped the last of her energy. I could feel her heart return to its normal rhythm as she tucked her head under my chin, placed her right hand on my side and settled in to sleep nestled deep into my body. "Good night, baby," I whispered to her, placing a kiss on her head before my eyes danced over the room. I don't know why but the thought that I just made it through two more of her doors crossed my mind.

I had two blissful days of shopping for furniture, hanging out with my girl and friend and just watching TV before I fell asleep with her tangled up with me. All major items needed for furnishing the new place were bought and ready to be moved when she closed on it while on the road with us. When we returned to Tampa next week, it would be to a new home where we could be alone. I already knew I was coming with her because she had asked if I would help her arrange anything that was incorrectly placed by the movers. It's obvious by now that I could never tell her no.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I shared her room in her joint suite with Stephen for both the Raw and Smackdown shows. I was a fixture in the room for the parties, and my friends could come and go as they pleased now. We fell asleep in each others' arms both nights after our kissing sessions of domination moved on to some heavy petting, and before I knew it, we were landing in Nova Scotia.

I carried our bags into the quaint little house she leased while working on the set, let the dogs in before I let the door close behind me and took our things to our bedroom. She was due on the set, and I was determined to go with her to check things out. I was led down a line of people, getting introduced to each before I moved on to the next, and despite the fact that most of these people were very cool, I could feel three sets of critical eyes on me the whole time. Imagine my surprise when one of them was our Hall of Famer, Edge, and the other was an actor she introduced me to in Kauai – Eric Balfour.

That's okay, guys. You can look, judge and draw conclusions all you want, but the fact remains that I'm here and riding home with her in a few hours. After we left the set, it took all of an hour or two before 2 of the 3, Adam and Lucas, tried to invade the house, but I politely informed them to please call before they come over in case we happened to be busy…like we were now. Their eyes widened slightly at my nerve, but she never contradicted me from the couch just to the left of where I stood, so I smiled and closed the door.

And here we were, alone in a house for the first time since we'd met, and all I could think about was picking her up and carrying her to bed even if it was just for another petting session. 'Mine.' Well, he cast his vote so I might as well make it unanimous. I walked up to the couch and stood between her legs, leaned down to loom over her before I kissed her sweet lips, slid my hands under her thighs and lifted her until she wrapped those glorious legs around my waist. Navigating by memory alone, I walked us into the bedroom while still stroking her tongue with mine.

"Go change," I said in a strained voice, letting her slide down my body to her feet. I didn't watch her when she slipped into the bathroom; I just concentrated on taking off my own clothes without doing permanent damage to my already aching erection with my damn zipper. I had just managed to pull up my shorts when a flash of white caught my eye over my shoulder.

When I turned I saw my beauty standing there in nothing but a towel and a slightly nervous yet still hungry look in her eyes. "You ready?" I asked our usual question that now held a whole different meaning, holding my breath while I waited for the usual answer.

She nodded her head and said "definitely" while fidgeting with nervous tension.

I gravitated towards her like I always have, but this time I swept her up in my arms, carried her like a precious treasure and gently placed her in the center of our bed. Sitting beside her, I asked her to lift her head for a moment and used both of my hands to spread her hair back across the pillow. I wanted everything to be perfect and that started with her comfort. That task completed, I took her shoulders and eased her back down before I traced a hand over the swells of her breasts before I eased the towel loose from her cleavage.

I held her eyes while I separated the material, completely exposing her to me before I let myself look. I felt myself get light-headed just looking at what she was offering me. "God, you are so fucking beautiful." I stretched out beside her, propping myself up on my right arm, using my left to cup her cheek and let my touch continue to explore this canvas of art. I moved down her throat over her collarbones to her upper chest before I traced one fingertip over a nipple until it peaked.

Her body was so responsive to every touch that I decided to let my hand continue its journey and used my mouth in its wake. Everywhere my hand went, my lips, tongue and teeth were seconds behind it. I got lost just tracing my tongue over all her ink. I felt her inner heat against my palm and dragged my mouth away from her flesh to look at her face. "I've got to taste you, baby. I have to have you on my tongue. Please," I could hear the pleading tone in my voice and didn't care when she jerkily nodded her head.

Here I was lapping at another door of hers, an important one but not the most important, and she tasted sweeter than anything I could possibly imagine. I took my time with her, gently placing a restraining hand on her lower abdomen to still her writhing body while my tongue continued its quest to sate my never-ending thirst for her…from her.

I made it last, taking her right to the very edge several times but never letting her go over, until I heard the sweetest thing. "Joseph…please…" She begged me for release, and with the return of my tongue, I gave it to her. She cried out as her body convulsed with her orgasm, and I could hear soft sobs escape her heaving lungs so I lazily lapped at her, slowly bringing her back to me.

I crawled up her body, holding most of my weight off her chest on my forearms before I took her tear-soaked cheeks between my hands. "Are you with me, baby?" She was still breathing heavily through her mouth when her eyes slowly blinked open, and she nodded her head. "Are you okay?" I asked her while my fingers collected her tears and absorbed them into my skin. She wearily lifted a shaking hand to my cheek and gave me another little nod. I pressed my lips against hers, darting out my tongue so that she could taste herself on me before I whispered into her mouth. "Can I have you now?"

I felt her gaze look into me once again, and like the first time, I hid nothing from her. Anything she wanted to see was right there. I wanted her. That was glaringly obvious with my erection screaming between our pressed pelvises, but I wanted to keep her afterwards, and that was there for her to see too. One soft "yes" sent me hurtling straight up and off the bed to strip off my shorts before I swiftly returned to where I was supposed to be.

I kissed her forever, could kiss her forever and never tire of it. Slipping my arms under her shoulders to keep my weight off her, I took her head between my hands and kept kissing her. Several minutes into our eternal kiss, I felt her hands explore my back before one fisted in my hair. Her legs slid up the backs of mine until they crossed over my ass.

I broke our kiss, just barely separating our lips when I nudged her door. "Open your eyes, baby." I had to see them when I stepped through this one. Here's another one of those moments that I won't ever forget. When her eyes opened, they were slow to do so like she'd reached the end and couldn't take anymore until I breached that doorway, then instant clarity sharpened their focus on my eyes, and she never looked away once as I thrust into that tiny body. Strength returned to those long-injured arms and legs, and she held on to me with bruising force while she held my eyes and stole my breath.

Besides the never-ending string of 'mine' reverberating through my head, the other thing I thought of was she was made for me. Our bodies fit so perfectly together.

Like our kiss, I wanted to make love to her forever. I really tried, but at some point into it I found myself banished to the crossroads of Neanderthal Way and Lecherous Beast Blvd. The animal took over the driver's seat and claimed his mate while I hoped she would be mine after he was done with her. I find it fascinating how this woman managed to separate me into two beings in one body, but she did it without trying, and we both wanted her.

We were a tangled mass of sweaty limbs, clawing fingers, bruising hands, biting teeth, dueling tongues and a ton of black hair while our mating continued. I could feel her body grip me within her before she threw her head back and screamed my name. She pulled my release from my body like it was hers to command.

Tears flowed freely down her face, but this time it didn't scare me as much as it did before. I was damn close to crying myself over the intense feelings that rushed through me. I rolled us over until I was on my back with my beauty lying on top of me, our bodies still intimately joined.

"Thank you, baby," I whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head and feeling my heart skip a beat when she placed a kiss over it. I kept one hand under her hair on her nape and the other on the small of her back, holding her to me as we drifted off into an exhausted nap.

I snapped awake not long into our slumber to find hers wasn't as peaceful as mine. She was whimpering in her sleep, her head jerking in tiny movements while one of her hands gripped my shoulder. I shushed her as I ran my hand over the soft skin of her shoulders and back. "It's okay, I've got you," I whispered next to her ear before she almost instantly settled under my hands, over my body and returned to a deep sleep.

The next time my eyes opened, it was to the irritating alarm on her cell. "What is that?" I asked her while she rested her forearms on my chest and rubbed her eyes. I couldn't help but smile at how drained she was. I did work her over pretty hard. She yawned deeply, stretching her body taut along mine, and I swallowed a groan when she gripped me within her. Why yes, I managed to stay inside her body while we slept. I have skills!

"That is my alarm for my Supernatural date with Stephen." Did I just hear her right? "We're usually together when our show comes on but while I'm here we watch together online." Was she seriously going to leave our bed to go watch TV with the big man? "I need to get cleaned up so I can sync our laptops." I guess she is serious because she rose up off of me until we were no longer joined, and I felt the loss immediately, like an extension of myself was missing. "Would you like to join me for a soak in the tub before?" And suddenly everything was okay as I reached out to accept her hand. I even tossed her over my shoulder, carrying her with an arm draped over her ass into the bathroom. Yeah, I went caveman. Sue me.

The next day she closed on the house while on the set. I watched her micromanage the arrangements with the moving company while taking episodic shots of the actors. I sat around musing on how she multi-tasked with ease and how she could barely function after the rest of our evening. I turned her into two people in one body too; one whose brain clicked away at her hectic jobs and the other that I reduced to one word answers or simple nods with a touch. I couldn't help the satisfied expression on my face. If I could've gotten away with my ring roar without an explanation, I would have done so proudly.

My eyes raked down her form from a good twenty feet away, burning a path over the flesh I had caressed as early as that morning. She caught the look in my eyes through her lens, lowered her camera just a few inches and flashed me a sultry smile. "Hurry," I mouthed at her. Her smile turned to an amused grin before she nodded and rushed her way through the rest of her short day.

We made it back to the house early in the day, and I sprawled out on the couch, waiting for her to finish backing up her work. She was a little irritable and seemed kind of sad before she told me that she thought her period (she calls it George! Hahaha!) was going to show up soon and apologized to me. Oh the silly woman! I'm a man and I work in mysterious ways too. I told her not to worry about it, that we always had the tub or shower. She brightened instantly as I easily averted that crisis for her. Then there was a humorous viewing of the Avengers (her drool movie) before we ended up in a tangle of limbs on the couch. I told you I could kiss her forever and…I was trying to get Thor off her mind.

"So, moving tomorrow, right?" I mumbled lazily in her ear while I ran her puff over her shoulders to her chest. We had another memorable round of my animal taking his mate to heights of pleasure before we retired to the bathtub. No, George didn't show. I just like keeping her wet and naked. She was situated between my legs, her back to my chest while I worshipped her skin with my hands and her scented bodywash. She mumbled a "mmhmm" while her head rolled so that her ear rested over my heart. "It just dawned on me that I use your ex's finishing move in the ring," I laughed softly, not wanting to disturb our relaxing vibe.

"Caught that, did you? I wasn't aware you knew I was married to Adam. Everything about me was very hushed back then."

"I didn't know he worked on this show but yes, I knew you were married. He was very attentive of you when you both worked the FCW shows years back, and I eventually saw a ring on your finger." She nodded slowly, still mellow from my always present hands. "And in case you're curious, I also kind of figured out Eric has a thing for you since I saw him in Kauai, and apparently, your ex would prefer you be with him than me."

"You are very observant."

"I pay attention to the things that matter." Nice, gentle squeeze so she knows who I'm referring to.

"Adam and I loved each other for a very long time before we ever became intimate. It was the marriage part that ruined it." I could hear the pain she tried to hide in her voice. After all the songs I've heard her sing in the room above mine, she was an open book to me already. She just didn't know it yet. "And Eric was interested but he wanted something more than I was capable of giving. We shared this house last season; separate rooms of course, and I came without you last week to tell him he had to move."

"Because of me?"

"Yes, because of you," she grabbed my wandering hand, brought it to her mouth and placed a kiss on my open palm before she nestled her cheek into it. "And in case you're curious, he's never known what you've known." Now that was a very lovely way to say that he's never touched her or been with her.

That simple gesture warmed my heart and made my blood fire in my veins at the same time. 'Mine.' Yes, yes, I know she's yours, but I'm trying to make her ours so shut up for a bit. Yeah, I knew that wouldn't work. She seems to keep me in a constant state of arousal anyways. I tilted her head up to kiss her soft lips, and the next time I was capable of rational thought, I found that we flooded the bathroom floor when I took her in the tub.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"I didn't know movers were this…efficient." Looking around the den of the new house, not only was the furniture placed but there were little things on the shelves, paintings on the walls and…just things everywhere. She chuckled softly and told me she hired an interior decorator to "breeze through and set the accents up". She's a lot better at multi-tasking than I thought. I wasn't aware that she passed on the information of the stores that we bought the furniture from for the woman to look at before she did her job.

My girl didn't like doing tedious things…like moving and even hated it enough to have it done while she was gone. Apparently to date, there are two Pods filled with her possessions sitting outside of the last house she bought in California. When I asked why she didn't just have one of those moved here instead of buying new stuff, she shrugged her shoulders and said it left here not long ago and probably doesn't want to come back. I guess her furniture holds a grudge too, and she was damn cute when she laid that excuse on me.

"How many houses do you have?" I asked while we checked out the master bedroom.

"Including this one? Three, no, four. Two in Texas, the one in Cali and now this one. I sold one to Jay that day I went to the title company," she rambled while she wandered into the master bathroom. I didn't know if it was stepping over a line, but I asked where she got her money from and without skipping a beat, she said, "I gamble. Cards, football, basketball, soccer. The money I make from the E, 5-O, Haven and the bands is pocket change." No shit? I guess she really doesn't need photography to make a living. She is just full of surprises.

We unpacked some personal things, and I used the time to ask random questions, just wanting to learn as much about her as I could. I asked things like how her relationships stood with Shawn and Steve to which she answered "as long as they never wrestle again, they'll remain strong." I know she knew my cousin. He had mentioned her before, but I was curious (okay, jealous childhood rivalries were screaming for an answer) how she felt about him. She said "disappointed" which confused me until she explained that "he got out, escaped the business intact, made a better life for himself, retook his name and then came back." She didn't like it. It offended her. 'Interesting.'

She showed me the two guest rooms that she was going to gut to convert into an office and a collectibles room. Knowing that she's a bit of a nerd makes her so much sexier. How that is possible, I have no clue but it is.

Checking out the pantry and fridge, we found them stocked to their capacity. She had a nasty argument with Stephen about his announced strap match at Extreme Rules, and he's working the Irish charm to get back in her favor by filling the house with food. I always knew the man was smooth.

It was way past time to kiss her again, and when she walked by me, trailing her hand across my chest, I grabbed her bicep and pulled her back to me. By the time we opened our eyes, I had backed her up against the kitchen table. We were both laboring for breath, and the bedroom was so far away. My eyes darted back to the table before snapping back to hers.

"I think it's high time we started breaking in some rooms and furniture in this place, don't you?"

There wasn't a single spot in the kitchen we didn't christen. Our passion kept us going at it until neither of us could move, but no one would ever hear me complain about it. When I could finally muster up the energy to stand, I held a hand out to help my beauty off the floor. She told me to leave her behind, go and save myself before she giggled like a teen. She couldn't be more adorable if she tried. I was still laughing when I carried her into the master bathroom so that we could clean up for the airing of Smackdown.

We managed to break in the shower too before making our way downstairs to the couch. More furious typing on her keyboard during the show, more laughs while chatting to her fellow QoE (That stands for Queens of Evil. There are three of them and their friends fear them) and more sultry glances aimed in my direction, and I reached that point where I needed her again. I didn't even give her a chance to power down her laptop.

Encasing her ribcage between my hands, I brought her to me until she was facing me, straddling my waist. Taking her mouth in another penetrating kiss, I slid my hands under her ass and took my feet. Her legs automatically wrapped around my waist while I marched us up the stairs.

Walking into our bedroom, I forced myself to part from her lips before I let her slide down my body to stand before me. "Take off your clothes, baby," I whispered in gruff tone. "No," I took her shoulders when she went to move to the bathroom.

My beauty carried a deep-seated vulnerability within her. She wasn't comfortable in the nude and was downright terrified of stripping bare in front of anyone. Every encounter of ours so far, she had either changed in the bathroom first or clothes were hurriedly removed (okay, some were ripped off) while lost in a kiss. This time I wanted her to know it was okay to bare herself to me in every way. No distracting me with kisses or hiding in the dark or spiriting away to the bathroom, not this time.

"Take off your clothes, baby," I said in a soothing tone while cupping her cheek in my palm. "It's okay, I've got you," I reassured her with my heart shining in my eyes. She held my eyes while she lowered her shorts and stepped out of them. I know from our short time together that her hang-up with nudity wasn't from the waist down, considering she would wear just a long tank around the house, but with her top. She had magnificent breasts so that particular fear confused me. I could only hope to get her to tell me, but for now, I watched trembling hands lift her shirt over her head, her hair spilling loose around her shoulders and down her back while she dropped the garment to the floor.

"Come here, beautiful," I stepped forward a foot just as she did, taking her small waist in my hands and lifting her slight weight up until she sat on my shoulders…facing me. Taking another few steps forward to back her into the wall, I let myself feast from her body again.

I was swiftly reaching a point where I was going to have to make a trip home to pick up some clothes or buy more. I had left a few things behind in Barrington and had an urge to hang up a few things in the closet here. Childishly staking a claim to my territory or just wanting some of my things in her space, always around her? I couldn't say but there it was. I had my laundry going downstairs, washing what I had left to prepare for our flight tomorrow while my baby watched movies in the den.

She wandered into the bedroom when I finally gave in to the urge to hang up said items, and I couldn't help feeling like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Is this okay?" She just smiled and nodded her head before returning to her movies. I was making headway with those doors!

During another break in her movie day, she wandered back into our bedroom, and I could feel the nervous tension rolling off of her in waves. "What is it, baby?" She told me that she had no intention of sleeping with anyone else, that I didn't need to leave things behind to mark my territory or take all those unnecessary trips to Nova Scotia and wear myself out, that she would return to me.

I told her it was a relief to hear that she had no intentions of sleeping with anyone else and neither did I, but she interrupted me by quickly saying that she didn't say that to push me into saying it too (she was so nervous that she took a step back for every one of mine towards her), but it would be nice to know ahead of time if we weren't exclusive, so that she wasn't taken by surprise when she saw it on the net. (Damn Adam and Punk to hell for the insecurities they instilled within her!) She went on to say that she just wanted to let me know all of that because the extra flight to and from Barrington was a lot on top of my already busy schedule.

I quickly closed the distance between us and tipped her chin to force her eyes to mine so that she could see the truth. I wasn't planting flags on my claimed territory. The fact that I was a constant presence at her side meant that I wanted to be there and nowhere else. "And baby, listen to me here, I don't plan on sleeping with anyone else when I have everything I could possibly want right in front of me. Okay?" She nodded her head, seeming to calm a bit. "And thank you for worrying about me but I can rest just fine at the house in Barrington, curled up with you in my arms." I kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug, feeling the rest of her tension leave her. "You are adorable when you ramble," I couldn't help but laugh a bit before I turned her around, swatted her on the ass and told her to go finish watching her movie.

My laundry done, I headed downstairs and sat beside her on the couch just in time for the end of We Were Soldiers. I told you she was unique, one of a kind. She broke down into tears by the end of the show, and it wasn't the first time I've seen her do it but this time I couldn't resist commenting on it.

I collected more of her liquid sadness on my fingertips, absorbing her into my skin again while I studied her eyes. "You're a lot softer than you allow the others to think you are." She said she had shown it to a few people, and aside from Stephen, Jay, Chris and Jeff, everyone else had used it against her. "They weren't the right men and I'm honored that I get this part of you, that it is just mine. You intimidate a lot of people on the job to this very day but here, in private, I get this and I like it," I wiped her tears from her face and placed a gentle kiss on those lips that I loved.

The next morning we were on a plane to Saint Louis for Extreme Rules. My beauty put a splitter on her MP3, and we both were plugged in, listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn. Jammed up against the armrest that separated our seats, my girl still managed to snuggle into my side while chillin to her jams, and I couldn't stop the grin that everyone could see us. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught SuperCena shooting me a nasty look, so I looked right at him and mouthed Stevie's lyrics "she's my pride and joy, she's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy." I grinned, he scowled and the big Irishman tried to hide his laugh after witnessing the whole exchange.

She told me in the locker room that she was proud of me, to be careful and she'd see me out there. As usual, I looked for her when Colby and I came down the arena stairs and there she was, peeking over the apron. My first championship match since being called up, and I found my eyes wandering to hers more times than I could count.

She was there, working for me even though I never contracted her. It makes a guy feel special when our elite photographer makes a charity case out of you and takes your photos for free. I had connections! That connection was now yelling those threats at my opponents instead of me and was trying to make me break character and laugh. I'm really going to have to put that girl over my knee someday. She stared at me proudly as I hoisted my belt in the air, and nothing could keep my eyes from holding her gaze. However, her eyes kept darting between mine and the belt in my hand, and I had no idea what the accompanying look meant until later in our suite.

"You want me to what?" I'm not a big blusher, but this woman has pulled many hidden things to the surface.

"I want you to wear the belt." She was lying on her stomach with her head propped up in her palms, her legs crossed at the ankle up in the air. "Consider it a loincloth for my barbarian," she smirked with a predatory gleam in her eyes.

I don't often turn over the dominant role to my lovely submissive, but I was willing to let her have her fantasy. Besides, she did call me her barbarian, and once I was dressed to the role, I took on that persona with my animal in charge. I even put her over my knee.

So fast forward another two days, and we're back in Barrington with Colby along this trip due to a nasty break-up with his girl. We had a nice day out on the beach with the cast and crew before weather forced us indoors. I spent a wonderful birthday with my lady doing most of my favorite things, and she had a great present waiting for me at home. I wanted to do something special for my beauty first, and the telling of our story is what I came up with.

I have an uncanny ability to remember exact details of every key moment in my life, and she owns a lot of those keys now. And me, well, I find I have one more door left that I've been quietly knocking on for a while. I'm just waiting for her to open it and let me in.

 **A/N: As most know, there is a sequel to this story that has been complete for a long time. However, I plan to rework it to remove/add some things before I repost it. Please don't ask when it is coming. It is last in line after my incomplete Ambrose fics, and possibly after the Baron Corbin fic I've been writing for a bit but have yet to post. This fic can very well standalone as it is but I like most of the things I wrote in the sequel so I'll get to it eventually. Peace out, peeps!**


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